National Desk
5 September
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
A local court in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, has remanded sculptor-contractor Jaideep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil to police custody until September 10. The two were arrested in connection with the collapse of a 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Malwan tehsil. The statue had fallen on August 26, less than a year after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chetan Patil was arrested in Kolhapur on August 30, while Jaideep Apte was taken into custody from Kalyan in Thane district on the night of August 28, nearly 10 days after an FIR was filed in the case. The Sindhudurg police had registered the FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code related to negligence and other offenses.
The statue’s collapse sparked outrage, leading to a thorough investigation. Apte and Patil are facing charges for their roles in the incident, with police now conducting a detailed inquiry while they remain in custody. The court’s decision to extend their custody underscores the seriousness of the case as authorities work to determine the cause of the incident and ensure accountability.